Honda adds 105K vehicles to recall

Associated Press

DETROIT

Honda is adding nearly 105,000 vehicles to its growing U.S. recall of driver’s-side air-bag inflators that can explode with too much force.

The added vehicles include nearly 89,000 Pilot SUVs from the 2008 model- year, as well as about 11,000 Civics from 2004 and an additional 5,000 Accords from the 2001 model-year.

Honda said that it’s the first recall of 2008 Pilots for potential problems with driver’s air bags made by Takata Corp. of Japan. The inflators can blow apart a metal canister and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least six people have died worldwide due to the problem.

Dealers will replace the driver air-bag inflators for free. With the added vehicles, Honda has now recalled 5.5 million Honda and Acura cars and SUVs nationwide from the 2001 to 2011 model- years because of the air-bag problems.

So far, 10 automakers have recalled more than 17 million cars and trucks in the U.S. and 22 million worldwide because of the air-bag problem. There could be as many as 30 million vehicles with Takata air bags across the U.S.